Help with a JD Citizen one shot

[Overkill]

Hi folks, I'm toying with the idea of running a one shot Judge Dredd convention game where the citizens will be the heroes but I could use some help.

I've got some character ideas: A fatty, A juve scrawler, A robot butler, Citi-Def soldier, Unemployed knee pad tester, judge washout but any other ideas would be welcome.

I figure I'll need an excuse for why the judges aren't handling things. Maybe just say that there is a block war that is going on elsewhere in the sector so there aren't any judges available. Too much of a copout?

Now I just need to figure out what the threat to the PC's block will be. Some sort of scientist/madman? Democratic revolution? Secession? Terrorist group? Not sure yet.

I might also go the route of having it be more of a minor mystery that they're trying to solve which might explain the lack of judges.

For an ending I'm thinking of having the citizens save the day but then get arrested and sent to the iso-cubes for all of the small offenses they committed during the adventure. Seems very MC1 to me. Anybody got any thought?

 

[AndrewW]

Could be whoever is causing the problem the citizens solve purposely setup some sort of distraction for the judges.

Might be an area of the city the judges don't go.

Perhaps send the citizens out of the city itself, maybe they pick up clues that lead them there, they try and show the judges but they decide it's outside the city so not their problem, there isn't enough evidence to support it.

Maybe the problem is a mopad that's rigged to explode or release some sort of toxin?

 

[Anonymous]

or it could be set during the war when the judges are under pressure fighting the sovs.
That could provide a reason for a vigalante group - they could even be set up by the city government - the characters could be forced together into a "citizens special unit home front block police " or something. It would give them a good reason for moral outrage at people commiting crimes at such a time.
At the end, the judges could return for their monthly supervision audit of the unit...

 

[dreamingbadger]

what about a citizen, who thinks they are a sov sleeper agent left behind after the last war... sort of Johnny English meets Judge Dredd... of course the citizen is just a little bit crazy... or are they ...

 

[havercake lad]

Uplift ape could be a PC ?
Re license to act free from Judgement Department ~ perhaps the players are actually being run without their knowledge by a rogue Wally Squad operative ( with his own agenda ) who has enough clout and wits to keep the Justice Department off their backs ?
Judge Auxillary White~ Archive Dept.

 

[ned-kogar]

I reckon a Job Riot might be a good starting point.

OR - you go this route:

Gang violence in a specific block has got so bad that a motley band of cits decide to team up and do something about it... while trying to avoid getting busted for vigilantism. They'll then be grateful for the Justice Department being occupied elsewhere.

It offers a simpler structure: threat/cause of discontent, first meeting (and checking that meeting place is secure), means of getting weapons (Citi-Def armoury, black market, by poisoning gang members and robbing them, etc), showdown with threat (an ambush, direct confrontation, shadier means...), twist, resolution.

It could almost feel like the A-Team. Almost.

 

[havercake lad]

Back in the GW JD days when I was GMing a campaign I wrote up 'The B Team'.